Faces Of The Game

On the fairways

December 8, 1996|By Jeff Babineau of The Sentinel Staff

NAME: Stewart Cink.

AGE: 23.

RESIDENCE: Atlanta.

BACKGROUND: Cink, who was the college player of the year at Georgia Tech in 1995, set a Nike Tour record for season earnings this year, winning $251,699. He ended the season with a victory at the Nike Tour Championship. By finishing among the top 10 Nike money winners, he earned a PGA card for next season. Cink won $108,710 in five PGA Tour events in 1996, tying for 16th at the U.S. Open and ninth at the Buick Challenge.

NIKE EXPERIENCE: ''It was a lot of fun playing against good players like that,'' said Cink, who turned pro a year and a half ago. ''I think it was very good for me. Learning that I can play against that type of competition has really been good for my confidence.''

JUST WIN, BABY: Cink may not have been competing against golf's big boys week in and week out, but he learned a great deal on the Nike Tour, golf's equivalent to the minor leagues. ''It's very important to learn how to win, to get in the habit of being in contention, and it doesn't matter who it's against,'' he said. ''Being in contention teaches you a lot about your habits and how your body reacts under pressure.''

SMELLING THE AZALEAS: Cink and his wife, Lisa, are expecting their second child in April. The delivery might arrive the same week Cink makes it to his first Masters at Augusta. ''My thoughts are, if my wife goes into labor on Thursday or Friday (of Masters week), then I'll leave the tournament. But she wants me to play. She's joked that if she goes into labor she's not even going to tell me. There probably will be other Masters tournaments, and I know there will be other golf tournaments in my career, but there probably won't be another child. So I probably won't play. My family definitely is more important.''

Birdies and Bogeys

A grand gesture by a few thoughtful souls at Walt Disney World last week intended to lift the spirits of golf-shot exhibitionist Dennis Walters did not turn out quite as planned, but the heartwarming intentions were appreciated nonetheless.

Those who attended Walters' Saturday clinic the week of the PGA Tour's Disney/Oldsmobile Golf Classic know the tragic story: As Walters hit his last shot of the day, his beloved dog, Mulligan, suddenly dashed into the path of his swing, was struck by his golf club, and died a few days later.

Steve Wilson, Jim Kern and Kevin Prentice of Disney's golf operations side tried to find Walters a new dog. They joined forces with a group called Virgin Animals Unlimited, which trains animals for movies, in a quest to locate a small, scruffy, Benji-type mutt. They thought they had found a perfect match and sent for the dog in South Carolina.

So Walters drove up to Orlando early last week and picked up the dog. He liked the dog, which he called a variety of names - Bogey, Bunker, Flash and finally, Moose. He liked its disposition, too, but on Friday, Walters said he is not going to keep the dog. It's a good dog, but not the right dog. Instead, he will continue his search at various animal shelters around the country. He still wanted to thank Disney from his heart.

''I can't tell you how wonderful Disney has been, and they told me they'd help me keep looking,'' Walters said. ''Everybody has been so nice. It was a wonderful effort done with a lot of wonderful thought, and I feel pretty bad things did not work out. I think this is a continuing saga that shows how much people really do care.''

One of Walters' best days in recent weeks was when he returned to the range at Disney and put on a clinic for the American Junior Golf Association. He received a standing ovation at its conclusion. But keeping his spirits high has been difficult. Walters, a paralyzed golfer who takes his incredible show to all corners of the country, has not yet been able to sort through the large box of letters from supporters he has received since Mulligan's death. He keeps busy looking for another special dog like Mulligan.

''It's been difficult, and I haven't really felt like hitting golf balls,'' he said. ''It's strange doing my show without Mulligan. I really miss her.''